Automatic drag for player-piano transmissions



W. T. WAITE.

AUTOMATIC DRAG FDR PLAYER PIANO TRANSMISSIONS.

APPLICATION FILED 050.11. 1916. RENEWED MAR. 15.1920. 1,351,881.

Patented Sept. 7,1920.

1 5m in UNITED STATES WILLIAM T. WAI'IE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC DRAG FOR PLAYER-PIANO TRANSMISSIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

Application filed December 11, 1916, Serial No. 136,196. Renewed March 15, 1920. Serial No. 366,037.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VTLLTAM T. WAITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Drags for Player-Piano Transmissions, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is the provision of simple and effective means in a player piano transmission for preventing over-running of the loose spool during the winding or rewinding of the record strip, whereby the proper tension on the strip is maintained.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism according to my invention;

Fig. 2is a vertical section through the mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of one of the retarding elements and a portion of the support therefor.

Versons accustomed to operating player pianos usually place the hand on the loose spool during the rewinding operation and not infrequently persons attempting to get the best results similarly retard the loose spool while the instrument is playing. Because of the delicate and fragile nature of the record strip it is easily damaged by this procedure and consequently some means for automatically retarding the loose spool is desirable.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a frame in which the motor shaft 2 is journaled. Loosely mounted on the shaft 2 adjacent one side of the frame is a sprocket 3 which is connected by a chain 4 to a sprocket 5 secured to a shaft 6 journaled in the frame 1 and provided with an adjustable thrust bearing 7. The end 8 of the shaft 6 is adapted to support one end of the spool bearing the record strip (not shown). A pinion 9 is loosely mounted on the shaft 2 adjacent the opposite side of the frame 1 and meshes with a gear 10 secured to a shaft 11 journaled in the frame, the end 12 of which is adapted to support the permanent spool (not shown) upon which the record strip is wound during the playing operation. The sprocket 3 and pinion 9 are provided with clutch teeth 13 adapted to cooperate with corresponding teeth 14 on a clutch 15 loosely mounted on the shaft 2 and shiftable by any suitable mechanism such as the member 16 to engage the teeth 13 and 14 and thereby actuate either the sprocket 3 or the pinion 9. When the sprocket 3 is driven the shaft 6 is rotated to rewind the record strip. )Vhen the pinion 9 is driven the shaft 11 is rotated to wind the record strip on the permanent spool (not shown). The mechanism heretofore described is that commonly employed in player pianos.

Upon the shafts 6 and 1.1 I have mounted friction disks 17 and 18. Adjacent the top of the frame 1 a bell-crank lever 19 is pivotally mounted at 20in a bracket 21. One end of the bell-crank lever 19 is supported by a hook 22, the shank of which extends through an opening in the top of the frame 1, and is provided with a nut 23 between which and the top of the frame 1 a spring 24 is disposed. The arm of the bell-crank lever 19 is thus biased upwardly by the spring 24, the tension of which may be regulated by operating the nut 23. An adjustable stop 25 is threadedly mounted in the top of the frame 1 to limit upward movement of the arm of the bell-crank lever 19. livotally mounted at 26 on the depending arm of the bell-crank lever 19 is a brakeshoc 27 provided with a friction facing 28 of any suitable material adapted to bear against the periphery of the disk 17. Downward pivotal movement of the brake-shoe 27 with respect to the depending arm of the bell-crank lever 19 is'limited by engagement of a shoulder 29 on the brake-shoe with the depending arm.

During the playing of the instrument the shaft 6 and consequently the disk 17 rotate idly in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 to feed the record stri to the permanent spool (not shown). he friction face 28 of the brake-shoe 27 is so formed that when the disk 17 rotates in this direction it is automatically retarded, the friction face 28 being held resiliently in engagement with the periphery of the disk 17 by the spring 24 operating through the hook 22 and the-bell-crank lever 19. When, however, the direction of rotation of the shaft 6 is reversed during the rewinding operation, in which operation the shaft 6 is toward the lower end of the frame 1 by the. 7

spring 35, the tension of'which may be regulated by operating the nut 34. fin ad ustable stop 36 is threadedly mounted in the lower end of the frame 1 and limits downward movement of the arm of the bell-crank lever 32. A brake-shoe 37 is .pivotally mounted at 38 on the upwardly directed arm of the bell-crank lever 32 and is pro vided with a friction surface 39 of any suitable material. Downward movement of the brake-shoe 37 with respect to the upwardly directed arm of the bell-crank lever 32 is limited by engagement of a shoulder "10 on the brake-shoe 37 with the arm. During the rewinding operation the shaft 11 and consequently the disk 18 rotate idly in the direction indicated by the arrow on Fig. 2 to feed the record strip to the spool (not shown) supported and driven by the shaft 6. The friction face 39 of the brake-shoe 37 is so formed that when the disk 18 rotates in this direction it is automatically retarded, the friction face 39 being resiliently held in engagement with the periphery ofthe disk 18 by the spring 35. l Vhen, however, the disk 18 rotates in the opposite direction durin the )la in operation the fr'ction face 39 rests lightly upon the periphery of the disk 18 and exerts no retarding pressure.

By employing the simple mechanism described 1 am enabled to automatically and without any effort on the part of the operator maintain the tension of the record strip at a point best adapted to produce the most efficient results in the operation of the player. The tension may be varied, in ad justing the instrument, by operating the nuts 23 and 3 1 but when once adjusted no further attention is necessary other than to take up possible wearof the friction faces 28 and 39. The necessity of retarding the loose spool with the hands during the wind ing or rewinding of the record strip is entirely obviated'and the possibility of-injuring the record strip is thereby prevented.

The mechanism is extremely simple in structure as well as in mode of operation and embodies no parts which are likely to become deranged by continuous or careless use.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing The shank of the from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages,

the form hereinbefore ,described' being merely a preferredembodiment thereof.

1 claim:

1. In a transmission for player pianos, the combination of a pair of shafts adapted to support the ends of record spools, means for alternately driving one of said shafts while the other rotates, idly, friction disks on said shafts, and independent means constantly engaging said disks and automatically operative to retard the idly rotating shaft.

2. In a transmission for player pianos, the combination of a pair of shafts adapted to support the ends of record spools, means for alternately driving one of sail shafts while the other rotates idly, friction disks on said shafts, means constantly engaging said disks and automatically operative to retard the idly rotating shaft, and means for independently varying the retarding effect of the retarding means.

3. In a transmission for player pianos, the

combination of a pair ofshafts adapted to support the ends of record spools, means for automatically driving one of said shafts while the other rotates idly, friction disks on 1 said shafts, independent brakes constantly and yieldingly engaging said disks and automatically operative to retard the idly ro-. t-ating shaft, and means forv independently cured to each shaft, a lever pivoted adjacent each of said disks, a brake-shoe pivotally supported on each lever and automatically operative to retard said idly rotating shaft by engagement with the disk thereon, springs 'operatively connected to said levers to maintainv the operative brake-shoe in resilient engagement with its cooperating disk, and adjustable stops arranged in the path of movement of said levers.

5. In a transmission for player pianos, the

combination of a frame, a pair of shafts journaled in said frame and adapted to support the ends of record spools, means for selectively driving one of said'shafts, the other being adapted to rotate idly, a disk secured to each shaft, a bell-crank lever pivotally supported by said frame adjacent each of said disks, a brake shoe pivoted on one arm of each of said levers and automatically operative to retard said idly rotating shaft by engagement with the disk thereon, hooks secured to the other arms of said bellcraiik levers and having shanks extending through openings in said frame, nuts thread edly mounted on said shanks, and springs mounted between said nuts and frame.

6. In a transmission for player pianos, the combination of a pair of shafts adapted to support the ends of record spools, means for alternately driving one of said shafts While the other rotates idly, friction disks on said shafts, levers pivoted adjacent said disks, and pivoted brake shoes on said levers constantly engaging said disks and automatically operative to retard the shaft rotating idl 7 In a transmission for player pianos, the combination of a pair of shafts adapted to support the ends of record spools, means for alternately driving one of said shafts While the other rotates idly, friction disks on said shafts, levers pivoted adjacent said disks, pivoted brake shoes on said levers constantly engaging said disks and automaticall operative to retard the shaft rotating idl and springs cooperating with said levers to resiliently maintain the constant engagement of the brake shoes with the disks.

8. In a transmission for player pianos, the combination of a pair of shafts adapted to support the ends of record spools, means for alternately driving one of said shafts while the other rotates idly, friction disks on said shafts, levers pivoted adjacent said disks, pivoted brake shoes on said levers constantly engaging said disks and automatically operative to retard the shaft rotating idly, springs cooperating with said levers to resiliently maintain the brake shoes in constant engagement With the disks, and means for independently adjusting the tension of said springs.

WILLIAM T. WAITE. \Vitnesses:

ERNEST H. MERCHANT, W. T. Wns'rmmnno. 

